Tube coupling



Feb. l, 1949.

L.. B. c ouRTo-r 2,460,621

TUBE COUPLING Filed July 1o. 1945 21 u Je 16 24 'el 12 ,e4/5

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A TTOENE Y6 Patented-Feb. i, 1949 TUBE COUPLING Louis B. Courtois, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Weatherhead Company,

poration of Ohio Cleveland, Ohio, a cor- Application July 10, 1945, Serial No. 604,163

. 6 Claims. l

My invention relates to tube couplings and littings and concerns particularly couplings of the cutting sleeve type for makin-g joints with smooth surfaced tubing.

An objectbf my invention is to provide an improved tube coupling requiring the stocking of a minimum number of separate parts.

A further object is to provide a tting or a tube coupling employing a cutting sleeve or cutting ring without requiring the stocking of separate cutting rings. n

A further object of the invention is .to provide a fitting for a tu-be coupling in which the cutting ring is originally integral with the tting, but is separated by the operation of joining .a tube with 'the llt-ting.

A further object of the invention is to .provide for making a joint with a smooth` surfaced tube by merely inserting the end of such a tube into the fitting without lthe necessity. for a preparation of the tube or placing any parts upon the tube before -the joint is made.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention willl become apparent as the description proceeds.

In carrying out the invention in Iaccordance with a preferred form thereof, I provide a fitting or a body having a tube-receiving bore and having a cutting ring formed integrally with the body, co-axial therewith, so that in inserting the tube within the bore in the body, it is also inserted within the cutting ring. Suitable mechanism for shearing the cutting rin-g and pressing it into the tube and securing it agalnstthe body is provided which may take the form of a tube nut adapted to be screwed on to the fitting.

A better understanding of the invention will be afforded bythe following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, medial sectional view of an embodiment of the invention showing the arrangement of parts .before the joint between the inserted -tube and the tube-receiving body has been made, with the cutting ring or cutting sleeve still integral with the tube receivingbody;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 showing the` arrangement of parts where the connection has been completed with the cutting sleeve sheared from the tube-receiving body and caused 4to bite into the tube for securing it.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional diagram representing a tube coupling embodying my invention in which the body is provided with a flaring mouth showing the arrangement of parts before the cutting. sleeve has been sheared from the body;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding vto Fig.l 3 illustrating the arrangement with the cutting sleeve sheared from the body and the tube secured thereby;

`adapted to receive the end of the tube i3., It

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a tube coupling employing a dat cutting sleeve integral with the body before the cutting sleeve has lbeen sheared from the body; and

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 illustrating the arrangement of parts after lthe cutting sleeve has been sheared and caused lto bite into -the'tube for securing it.

Like reference characters are utilized throughout the drawing to designate like parts.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 a two-part fitting comprising a body II and a tube nutci2 is employed for join-ing a smooth surfaced tube I3 to the body H.

The body Il comprises a main portion having a bore I with a counter-bored portion I@ also comprises a portion I 6 co-axial with the bore it in the form of a cutting ring having a forward end joined by a narrow band of metal Il lto the main portion of the `body II, and having a rear portion I8 inwardly flanged to form a rear cutting edge. To facilitate shearing the cutting sleeve i6 along the junction Il, an annular notch or groove of rectangular cross-section i9 is provided between the throat of the lbore I l and the cutting sleeve i6.

Thebody I I has a pipe thread 2| whereby it 'may be joined to a bulkhead or the like and has a screw thread 22 for receiving the nut I2.

'I'he nut I2 may be a conventional tube nut having an opening 23 for the tube i3 and having a-beveled inner surface 24 adapted to. engage the rear end of the cutting sleeve I6.

The body II and the tube nut l2 are the only two parts which need to be stocked in the Warehouse. If desired they may be stocked assembled with the nut I2 s-crewed loosely on the thread 22. When a joint is to be made between the bpdy Il and a smooth tube I3, the tube lnut l2 having been assembled with the body il, the end of the tube i3 is inserted through the nut i2, the cutting sleeve portion I5 of the -body II, and the coun-ter bore i5. The tube nut I2 is then tightened on the thread 22 until the beveled surface 2 begins to bear inward on the rear end of the cutting sleeve i0.' Tightening the nut i2 also causes the cutting sleeve IB to be driven forward applying shearing force to the junction il until the cutting ring or sleeve IIS is sheared frorngti throat portion of the body II. as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The square surfaced portion 25 of the tube nut I2 serves to provide adequate forward thrust as the nut I2 is being tightened up. Preferably the forward end of the cutting sleeve i6 has a relatively sharp corner 26. The ycorner 26 is driven into the surface of the tube I3 toform an indentation or notch 21 therein, as illustrated in Fig. 2, owing to the fact that the cutting sleeve I6 enters at a slight angle because the outer end is raised by the ange I8. The application of forward pressure by the nut I2 also tends slightly to buckle the sleeve I6 thus aiding the action of both the forward point 26 and the ange I8 in being driven inward against the tube I3. Consequently not only the forward point 28, but also the flange I8, produces a gouging of the tube I3, which is held by the notches 21 and 28 at the forward and rear ends of the cutting sleeve I8.

In the arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2, the body II' has a throat with a square edged opening and the cutting sleeve i6 has a flange it which is relatively square-edged. However, the invention is not limited to the specific arrangement illus trated in Figs. 1 and 2. For example, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, I may employ a body 3i having a iiaring throat with a taper 32. and with a cutting ring portion 33 integral with the body 3i, having a junction 8i in the throat of the are or taper 32. Preferably the material is weakened by forming an annular notch 35 just Within the junction M. As illustrated in Fig. 3 the cutting sleeve 33 has a sharpened rear end flange 38. In this case, a tube nut 3i is preferably employed in which there is a tapered inner surface t8 in which the bevel continues down to the outer surface' of the tube i3.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 the tube i3 is secured .in the body 3i by drawing up the nut di. The combination of the forward component of force as the nut 3i is tightened and the inwardly bending component of force causes a fracture at the junction 35S, so that the cutting ring 33 is severed from the body 3i, and ls caused to bite into the outer surface of the tube i3 for securing the same. Notches t2 and it are formed in the tube it at the forward and rear ends of the cutting sleeve 33 by reason of the action of the tapered surfaces 32 and 38 in. forcing the ends of the cutting sleeve 93' inward against the tube i3.

In connection with Figs. 1 to 4,' arrangements have been described employing a cutting sleeve which is initially integral with a tube-receiving body and which has a flanged rear end in order to insure biting into the tube at the rear end of the cutting sleeve. However my invention is not limited to the use of such cutting sleeves with flanged ends. For example, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, I may employ a tube-receiving body 5i having a cutting sleeve 52 originally integral therewith which is relatively fiat, preferably with squared ends and having a relatively Weak junc= tion 53 between the cutting sleeve 52 and the throat of the body 5i. A deep annular notch 5d may be provided in the throat of the body 5i to insure suiicient frangibility of the junction 5t. The surface 55 of the annular notch 5t is preferably substantially perpendicular to the bore axis in. order to prevent the forward end of the cutting sleeve from being deflected into the tube i3. In

this case, a tube nut 37 may be employed which is substantially the same in shape as illustrated in connection with Figs. 3 and 4.

When the tube nut 3'! is tightened on the thread 22 in order to secure the tube it in the body 5I, the cutting sleeve 52 is sheared from the body 5i at the junction 53 and the forward end 58 of the cutting sleeve tends to be deiiected outward into the notch 5i whereas the rear end 51 is forced to bite into the outer surface ,of the tube I3 by' the beveled surface 38 on the nut 37, thus forming a single notch or seat 58 in the tube i3. I have herein shown and particularly described certain embodiments of my invention and certain 'methods of operation. embraced therein for the purpose of explaining its principle of operation and showing its application, but It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations are possible, and I aim, therefore, to cover all such modications and variations as fall within the scope of my invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tube coupling comprising a body adapted to receive a tube and having a tube sealing ring frangibiy disposed integral with said body, and a tube nut for shearing said ring from said body and forcing it into engagement with atube to be received in the body, said body having a recess adjacent said i'rangible connection whereby the sheared end of the ring can move axially and adially as it is sheared from the body.

2. A tube receiving body for a tube coupling, said body having a. tube receiving bore and a sealing ring substantially co-axial with said bore and integral with said body, said ring being joined to the body so that the joint shears in response to axial pressure.

3. In combination, a body for a tube coupling, said body having a tube-receiving bore and a tube sealing ring initially cylindrical in shape and coaxial with said bore and integral with the remainder or said body and a tube nut adapted to be drawn against said body, said tube nut having a tapered recess adapted to engage the rear end of the sealing ring as the nut is drawn against the body for contracting said rear end of the sealing ring to engage a tube received in the body.

e. A tube receiving body for a tube coupling, said body having a tube receiving bore and a sealing ring substantially co-axial with said bore and integral with said body, said ring being joined tothe body so that the joint shears in response to axial pressure, said ring having a generally radially inwardly directed flange spaced from its joint to the body for gripping an associatedtube after the joint has sheared.

5. A tube receiving body for a tube coupling, said body having a tube receiving bore and a sealing ring substantially co-axial with said bore and integral with said body, said ring being joined to the body so that the joint shears in response to axial pressure, said ring being substantially cylindrical.

d. In combination, a body for a tube coupling, said body having a tube receiving bore and a tube sealing ring initially integral with the remainder of said body and having a radially inwardly di rected ange adjacent its rear end, and a tube nut adapted to be drawn against said body, said tube not having a tapered recess adapted to engage the rear end of the sealing ring as the nut is drawn against the body for contracting said rear end of the sealing ring to engage a tube received in the body.

LOUIS B. coUaroT.

REFERENCES siren The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,581,538 Hill Apr. 20, 1926 1,755,210 Dehner Apr. 22, 1930 1,889,778 Dobrick Dec. 6, 1932 2,255,673 McDermott Sept. 9, 1941 

